Chapter 266 - Acquired Knowledge (1/2)
The Ministry of Magic's lift a fit young wizard with sun kissed skin and freckles, brushes his locks from his face and back. ”Mr. Black, I find it strange that you've requested a transfer to the filing department from the-,” Bertie Higgins paused as he squinted his eyes at the previous occupation. ”The Department of Regulations.”
The tired dark-haired man with dark eyeshadows with even more gaunt cheeks than before flashes a quick smile. ”My health has been in the decline as of late,” Alphard Black honestly replied. ”I'd like to make myself yourself in the meantime.”
Which was all true as it was longer considered prudent for him to remain the Keeper of the Halls of Prophecy. The moment he'd been found unconscious, he'd put in for a transfer from the Department. The Head of the Department of Mysteries was in quick agreement and soon a replacement was found. His replacement was a bit cold and stiff, but social skills were not required for this particular position.
”Ah, yes,” Higgins said as he somewhat found that to be strange. The lift stops as he says, ”Here we are.” The two of them make their way out of lift and down the white tiled hallway.
Opening one of the doors, Higgins says, ”Right then. You'll be in charge of filing all the incoming personnel information. As well as checking the past information of previous employees.”
”The job is simple enough,” Higgins said as he pointed to all the rows of filing cabinets. ”Any questions?”
”No,” Alphard said as Higgins nods his head.
”Very well, then, I'll leave you start sorting the pile already on your desk,” Higgins gestured to the growing pile, before closing the door behind him.
With a sigh, Alphard tosses his fur coat into a chair as he wouldn't be needing it. Rolling up his sleeves reveal pale slender wrists that were much thinner than before from sudden weight loss. Glancing through the files, he quickly read the names out loud as cabinets burst open as he without looking flicked his wand. The respective information flew into the assigned files until the large pile was gone.
With a pleased hum, Alphard glances at the time, before hurrying to look inside the filing cabinets. Just about the same time of Auror Saturina Shackleton's death the previous personnel employee had died from a sudden heart attack. Either the old wizard had spoken to Auror Shackleton prior to her death or someone had tied up loose ends. But even if all records had been destroyed there should be clues left behind suggesting that was the case.
Right from the start, Alphard had crossed off, Oswald Bulstrode and Devante Nott from his five persons list because they were Slytherin. Normally, he'd argue that would indeed be the opposite case but not this time. All five members on the list somehow crossed with that of Riddle, either in the same year or in upper or lower years. But they all had at some time been at Hogwarts at the same time.
The reason it could not be either Slytherin was simple, Nott had been an original member of the Knights of Walpurgis. Riddle would have never trusted nor deemed Nott as anything more than a servant. Nor, Bulstrode as he'd been in his 7th year, when Riddle started. Bulstrode and Riddle would not have had much of a relationship while at Hogwarts. However, Murtagh Burke, a Ravenclaw, Linus Gamp, a Gryffindor, and Kain Shafiq, a Hufflepuff were far more likely to be the culprit responsible for Shackleton's death and the person sought out by the child.